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Sunday, September 28, 2014

I get a lot of questions about ghostwriting from writers who are new to the field. How much should you charge? How do you negotiate a contract? How do work efficiently with a client? But one question that many fail to ask (but should) is how to vet a potential client. That's why you should ask potential clients questions like: • What kind of book do you want to write?

• How long will the book be?• Who's the audience for the book?

• Why do you want to write this book? • What have you done already? Do you have an outline? A rough draft? Or just an idea?

• What's your time frame? • Why do you want to hire a ghostwriter?

• What kind of publisher do you plan to pursue? Traditional? POD? Or will this be an e-book only?

• How did you find out about me? Why are you interested in hiring me?

• How do you envision working with a ghostwriter?

• What are you planning to spend on a ghostwriter? • How will you plan on marketing the book once it's published?

Sunday, September 21, 2014

My regular readers know I'm a fan of talking money, and sharing what I make for different types of work. So today I'm sharing more straight talk (and actual figures) about royalties.

There's a lot of confusion from would-be authors about how advances and royalties work. In short, an advance is an advance against royalties--meaning that the publisher offers you money to write the book against your share of what the publisher expects the book to make. However, the majority of books fail to "earn out," or make enough that the author receives royalties. That's why I suggest that authors assume that the advance is all that they'll see for a book--and one of the major reasons I started doing more ghostwriting.

So here's the scoop on my latest royalty statement for Writer for Hire, and case in point--I'm still not making royalties. Between January and June 30, 2014, Writer's Digest sold the following (the company breaks different types of sales into different categories, which I've noted below:

Export sales 4

Dom L sales 411

Dom G sales 1

Dom M sales 172

E-books 84

POD 29

Total Sales 701 (minus returns of 57) = 644 sales during this period, 4642 total since its publication. I've produced $4096.22 in royalties, which offset against my $5,000 advance, means I'm still $903.78 in the hole. That's the bad news.

The good news? My sales were higher during this royalty period than the previous one, from July 1-December 31, 2013. (And the latter royalty period included back-to-school sales and holiday sales.)

Compare:

Export sales 69

Dom L sales 370

Dom G sales 8

Dom M sales 113

E-books 65

POD 14

Total Sales 639 (minus returns of 70) = 569 sales during this period.

What does this mean? You might think "nothing." I disagree. Both the print and electronic sales are up, even though the book has been in print for more than two years, and I believe that's a good sign. It may be due to the fact that I'm constantly marketing all of my books on freelancing. It may be due to the fact that it's a great book, and that readers are recommending it to fellow writers. (I hope so.) But it may also be due to the fact that it's been around long enough to get noticed, and picked up at a bookstore, or ordered because it's been mentioned by another writer, or in one of my bylines, or at a writer's class, conference, or event. Or a combination of all of these factors.

All that matters to me is that it's continuing to sell--and that means a year from now (sooner than that if sales really take off), I should be seeing my first royalty check for a book I wrote three years ago, and that was published two years ago. Good things come to those who wait.

**Readers, do you have questions about royalties, publishing, book contracts, or POD? Comment here with them and I'll be happy to answer!

Sunday, September 14, 2014

I was intrigued by this post on Contently about a fellow freelancer's new ebook about making a six-figure living as a freelancer. As an author with a book with a similar name, (though it sounds like mine is quite a bit longer), I was intrigued by the concept. I agree that much of freelancing success can be summed up with succinct tips. One of hers is to "think of writing like a business," and this is critical for freelancers, especially new ones.Case in point--I just heard from a potential client this morning (we've been in touch via email already). She offered me an assignment of several blog posts. That's great! She told me the topics she wants me to cover, and gave me a deadline of Friday. I asked her about word count, and she told me what she needs. Great. There's only one problem--we haven't talked money yet (though she did ask me to quote her a fee.)But without agreeing on my fee, we don't have a contract yet. (Legally, because no "consideration" or value, has been identified for the blog posts, no contract exists. Thank you, law school.) And I won't work without a contract. That's because I always think of writing like a business. I emailed her back promptly with my bid, and asked her to let me know ASAP if that rate will work. If she says "yes," I have a contract (which I'll confirm in an email to her) and I'll get to work. If not--well, then I don't have a contract, so I don't have an assignment. Sounds obvious, right? But I know writers who have been burned doing work for clients before they've hammered out their fees and that never ends well. You need a contract--even it it's an email contract--before you start work. ***Yeah, I have my own book with 101 tips to freelancing success--Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success.It still hasn't earned out yet (more about that later) but it's sold more than 4600 copies since it was published in 2012, which is good news.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Would you give up your freelance career to take a full-time job? No? You're not alone. According to a report from the Freelancers Union, 88 percent feel the same way. That's nearly 9 in 10 freelancers who find the benefits and challenges of self-employment more appealing than a traditional full-time gig. When asked why they freelanced, reasons included flexibility, being able to be their own boss, and being able to better balance work and life. Those reasons certainly apply to me, too, but one of my primary reasons to freelance is because I can make more money per-hour than I can working most other jobs. Could I have done this at the outset of my freelance career? No. But as I've gained experience, I've become more valuable to clients in a variety of fields, and that means I can charge more for what I do. And for markets that offer a set fee (think consumer magazines, for example), I'm typically able to work more efficiently than I did in the past--again, a benefit of experience. That experience means I've learned where I can save time, too. I no longer do 30-minute interviews with sources when I know I can get what I need in ten. I no longer rewrite articles four, five, or six times seeking perfection--my second draft is usually the final one. And I focus on developing solid relationships with clients, editors, sources, and other writers--which pays off for me with more work. So, yes, there's the freedom. That's huge. And I can typically adapt my work schedule around my kids' schedules, which is a huge plus. But the biggest reason for me to freelance is a financial one. At least at this point in my life, working a limited number of hours, I want to make as much during those hours as I can. And with experience, I've been able to do so. So what do clients actually pay for the work I'm doing? That's the subject of an upcoming post.In the meantime, where you do stand? Are you among the 9 in 10 who would turn down a full-time gig to continue freelancing? If so, why? **My latest book,Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: Make Money Ghostwriting Books, Articles, Blogs and More, Second Edition, shows writers how to break into the ghostwriting/content marketing field. Want more advice about making more money as a freelancer in less time? Check out Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, Second Edition, a freelancing classic that helps both new and experienced writers boost their bottom line. And if you're brand-new to freelancing, I recommend Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Happy Labor Day to my American Readers, first off. I hope you're taking it off, like I am! My kids started school last week, and I'm slowly starting to find a work groove. One of my goals for the coming year is to work more efficiently--which to me means working when I'm supposed to be working. I work part-time hours, so I have to make the most of them. I'm sorry to say that lately I've been wasting plenty of time while I should be working...and my biggest time-waster is Facebook. Of course I'm not alone; according to Facebook (which admittedly may be a biased source), Americans average 40 minutes a day on Facebook. That sounds about right for me--and I'm almost always on Facebook during my work hours. Well, 40 minute of lost work time a day equals at least 10 to 15 percent of my available work time, and that's quite a loss--and it's not making me any more productive when I do get back to my current assignments. So I've decided I'll only check Facebook at the end of the workday and not allow myself any "quick" social media breaks when I'm supposed to be working. If I do need a break, I'll take one away from the computer. I think it'll be a better way to recharge, too, even if I miss out on a few status posts, quizzes, and photos of cute kids. Will this be challenging? I'm sure. But it's one simple way I can get more from my work time without sacrificing anything else.What about you? What one thing can you do differently to work more efficiently? Feel free to comment and let me know. **My latest book,Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: Make Money Ghostwriting Books, Articles, Blogs and More, Second Edition, shows writers how to break into the ghostwriting/content marketing field. Want more advice about making more money as a freelancer in less time? Check out Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, Second Edition, a freelancing classic that helps both new and experienced writers boost their bottom line. And if you're brand-new to freelancing, I recommend Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets.